Lord Falconer, an adviser to the Hillsborough victims' families, has told the Home Affairs Select Committee that the Director of Public Prosecutions believes the two probes into the conduct of officers at Hillsborough should be united as a single investigation.

He said the families endorsed the director, Keir Starmer QC, as the person to "coordinate and drive forward" a combined investigation, with the DPP effectively leading the IPCC probe.

Sheila Coleman, a spokeswoman for the Hillsborough Justice Campaign, has said the families and survivors "seek clarity" into the latest investigations into the conduct of serving and retired officers during the disaster.

She said they want assurances that no-one else involved in previous investigations into Hillsborough is involved in the current investigations launched by the Independent Police Complaints Commission and the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Mrs Coleman also said she was "heartened" to hear the Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police did not want its force to play any part in the investigation into the conduct of its officers during Hillsborough.

Margaret Aspinall and Trevor Hicks from the Hillsborough Family Support Group said they were "delighted" the Attorney General had announced he will apply to the High Court to quash the original inquest verdicts.

They said it was important that they had the same legal support afforded to the police officers, and they want the inquest to be held in Liverpool.